Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Volunteer Liaison Office

FLOODLINE NEWS

For insurance reasons only working members of the Railway can be directly involved in repair activity. Any members not currently working volunteers and who wish to assist should contact Dewi Jones in the first instance.

FLOODLINE 49

Friday 26th October

Cleobury Mortimer Road Bridge Bridgnorth

Possibility that the repair will be carried out week commencing 5th November. This will involve instigating road traffic control (more paperwork) and an SVR crane lift plan (more paperwork). The aim will be to have the Bridgnorth MPD breakdown crane positioned to the south of the bridge to lift and slew the south end of the bridge back into position. Walkways, ballast and the rails have been disturbed and repairs to these can then be done.

Sunday 28th October

Vegetation clearance train will leave Bewdley about 10.30am – meet at Bewdley for 10.00am

Work will concentrate near the Bewdley Up Home signal, train then trips felled trees to the Tenbury Wall where it is then burnt. Further clearance around Bridge 12 is planned.

Monday 29th October

Soil nailing machinery due to arrive and start work at Northwood Lane embankment slip

Wednesday 31st October

Cl 50 50049 departs KR for North Yorkshire Moors Railway to attend ‘Valley Aid’ event.

Thursday 1st November

42969 due back to KR by road from the West Somerset Railway
4566 then to be moved by road to BH MPD for running repairs
5164 then to be moved by road to KR to be one of the 5 engines. (5764, 46443, 45110, 5164 and 42968) required at the south end for December running.

Sat 3rd November

Colin Astbury will be leading a gang on clearance work at the Stourport P Way sidings. This will include vegetation clearance and disposing of wood and scrap metal. Meet at Bewdley C+W from 10.00am. Cl 08 and road railer in use.

Saturday 3rd November

Bridgnorth MPD staff have organised a FREE bonfire and firework display from 7.00pm but a donation to the Flood Appeal would be welcomed. Open to everyone not just SVR staff.

Highley Engine House

The EH will be opened specially for SVR working members for one day early in the New Year. Although there will be no railway vehicles in place it will be an opportunity to see what will be on offer when the exhibits do arrive. I hope to announce the date in early December.

Dewi Jones

Traffic Manager

FLOODLINE 48

Monday 22nd October

NYMR – ‘VALLEY AID’

2nd – 4th November 2007

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway continue their fantastic support of the SVR through ‘Valley Aid’. They are staging a special enthusiast’s weekend from 2nd – 4th November, and the majority of the income will be donated to our Flood Appeal.

Several loco owners will be making their engines available.

Philip Benham, General Manager of the NYMR wishes me to invite SVR staff/volunteers to this event. By showing your SVR staff pass you will receive free travel over the Valley Aid weekend.

Nick Ralls

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th October

Help wanted to clear wooden pallets from KR to BY MPD, goods train and diesel power booked.
Guard required to contact Don Shadwell. Anyone else to meet at Bewdley either morning and report to MPD.

Thanks to those who offered to plant shrubs but this has become a larger than anticipated job with 18,000 to plant. This work will now be done under the control of our Tree Care and Conservation contractor.

I was going to do an in-depth report on the three country stations by starting at Arley. I visited the station on Sunday only to find that one of our younger volunteers was updating the Arley web site – well would the older ones know how to? [yes!] Older volunteers were teaching youngsters in the workshop, painters were at it, gardeners were digging away, shop was open, cafe was open - I missed out on the sponge cake – it was all sold out – must get there earlier next time, trolley having its brakes adjusted – sounds easy until you've done it yourself. Various jobs have been ongoing since June when staff saw the last train. Painting of the canopy can be reported in one line but probably hundred of man hours have now been spent on just this project alone. Rather than me explain, check out the Arley Web site but remember this is just a short report and it does not cover everything that has been going on.

Station staff would welcome any further assistance certainly from existing staff. For those who are not members of the SVR and are prepared to help, a day membership is available to allow you to work.

This may be an ideal chance for some to sample being a volunteer on a preserved railway for the first time. Arley Station staff have informed me that they have a job list as long as your arm with a job to suit anyone. For those interested please either contact me or meet at Arley Station on Saturdays or Sunday. Usually there is a bigger gang on Sundays with more work organised.

Also worth looking at is the Bridgnorth Station web site with many photos of fence painting and a full scale re roofing of the waiting room on Platform 2 so maybe I'll be off there with my notepad next.

About mid day today I received a report that the Cleobury Mortimer Road Bridge (that’s the first one as you leave Bridgnorth) had been hit by a lorry. An inspection revealed that this was the case and the bridge was now slightly out of alignment. Job stopped for the time being. No Bridgnorth Shuttles this weekend coming at least. Maybe we can have bridge appeal instead of a flood appeal. Last serious bridge strike was back in June and you know what happened the following week!

Dewi Jones

Traffic Manager

(images to follow)

FLOODLINES 47

Photos taken 18th October.

Standing on the Northwood Slip, note the large tree stump. The remainder of the tree has been sawn off as it was growing horizontally out of the hillside and was in danger of collapsing and pulling the roots out of the ground.

Many of the trees on this slope have grown with a bend in them. This is a classic tell-tale sign that the hillside has been slipping for the thirty years or so life of this tree. As the hillside slips the tree leans, then the hillside stabilises and the tree adjusts to grow vertically towards the light thus putting a bend in the tree.

With several slips within the life of the tree, it has to adjust itself several times.

Taken from above the line on the Nortwood slip, the tarmaced lane and threatened bungalows can be seen below. The River Severn is just off the top of the photo

Pipes to carry surface water and waste water discharged from bungalows take water down the hillside and across the track to the culvert at the base of the hillside. Two yellow capped pipes can be seen, these are boreholes which geologists use drop in measuring equipment to record any movement of the hillside

Similar picture. Trees have yet to be felled before soil nailing and further permanent drainage work can be done

Dewi Jones
Traffic Manager

FLOODLINE 46

17th October 2007

Coach movements in the last few days:

MK1 TSO 4690 returned from body and conversion work at Ramparts, Derby. Now in paint shop for exterior paint work and internal fitting out as a disabled saloon

MK1 CK 16232 out of paint shop overhauled and available for hire, now surplus to traffic requirement.

LNER 6 vehicle rake in use Monday and yesterday on photo charter with “Green Arrow”

GWR Siphon 1257 moved into workshop at BY for continuation of overhaul

LNER 7690 Kitchen Composite moved today from BY to KR (to go into works for steam heat testing of new pipework and fitting with its original and now overhauled bogies

GWR Saloon 80969 moved today KR to BY to have overhaul following 1257

Santa Grottos (3) turned on the KR turntable and moved to BY today

829 removed from Set S for wheel flat repair, replaced in set with 1146 from Set GW2

Hay Bridge's displaced girder was returned to its rightful place yesterday. The road crane also assisted in fitting the deck, handrails, signage and returning the coping stones, this was followed by repairs to the stonework.

100's of tons of contaminated ballast stored on track bed at Knowlesands will from tomorrow be loaded into dumpers to be taken into the industrial estate for cleaning. The first loads of clean ballast will then be returned to Oldbury Viaduct and tipped on top of the panels of track that were laid last weekend southwards from Oldbury Viaduct.

Dewi Jones

Traffic Manager

BR MK1 CK 16232 recently outshopped from KR Carriage Works.

FLOODLINE 45

Monday 15th October 2007

Barry Coach Fund at Hampton Loade require another painter and a carpenter. Anyone with some DIY skills would still be fine. Ring Dave Flavell on 07866 688711

Next Vegetation Clearance train Sunday 29th October 2007. Meet at Bewdley 10.00am

Santa Operation:

3 train sets, 5 coaches each, with 250 seats min per set leaving KR every 30 minutes for seven and a half hours (capacity for Santa operation 26,000 seats)
4 engines
At BY, arr P1, engine run round, PR set via BN and depart via P2 to KR
At KR turnover engine for departures
All engines will be off BY each morning
No sets heated at KR overnight
Sat evening diner engine will be off BY and return to BY at end of day, will be at BY on Sunday as stand-by.

Dewi Jones

Traffic Manager

Close up of the Armalock concrete segments stitched together with wire in the ditch at Knowlesands.

Looking towards Bridgnorth, road rail dumper which has brought contaminated ballast to the lineside here for cleaning. Road railer and trailer also in use. JCB in distance preparing formation for relaying track

Looking south towards Knowlesands Tunnel showing where the gopher ballast removing machine started work. The ballast will be returned after cleaning and the track tamped to the correct height

North Yorkshire Moors Railway loaned track gopher ballast removing machine. Ballast is removed from under the track form right to left, loaded into trenching wheel on left and loaded onto the conveyor for loading into the road rail dumper.

The cutting edge. Like a chainsaw operation cuts away the contaminated ballast (nearest the camera) and moves it to the other side of the track for the trenching wheel to clear it.

Trenching wheel then collects the ballast "chain-sawed" from the other side of the machine and loads it into the conveyor.

Photos taken on Sat 13th October

Dewi Jones

Floodline No 44

Friday 12th September 2007

Current position of repaired areas and outstanding work

Oldbury Viaduct.

Civil engineering work completed, contractor off site.
Drainage system installed.
Track bed handed back to SVR.
BH P Way gang will be reinstating about four panels of track southwards from OV this weekend
Repaired embankment hydroseeded.
Work above Daniel's Mill to be completed during next 12 months before site considered finished but trains permitted to run whilst the work is being carried out.
BH Down Home Signal post re-erected.
Cable troughing being laid.
Track from OV to KS to relay.

Knowlesands.

Several slips between KS and OV have now been repaired.
Drainage system has been installed.
Track bed has been handed back to SVR. Contractor off site
Repaired embankment has been hydroseeded.
Drainage across field to river to be finalised.
Solution to trading estate drainage and security barrier to follow on when possible.
Drainage ditch being constructed and lined.
Contaminated ballast dug out for cleaning/replacement.
Ballast being screened in trading estate to be returned clean to SVR to reuse.
S & T cable to be installed.
Track to relay.
Cutting faces near tunnel inspected by specialists and loose debris/material removed and vegetation cleared.

South of Knowlesands.

Both areas of damage to cutting walls rebuilt.
New sections have been hydroseeded.
Contaminated ballast being dug out for cleaning/replacement.
Ballast being screened in trading estate and clean returned to SVR.
Drainage ditch to tunnel to be dug.
S & T cable to be installed.
Track to relay.

Hay Bridge (not flood damage)

Road closure booked 09.00 to 15.00 on 16.10.07 to replace beam.
Mobile road crane to be used (no rail access).
Some vegetation clearance undertaken

Sterns Cottage Culvert.

Culvert to be replaced, hopefully at new level subject to EA and Bridgnorth DC agreement.
Subject to consents should start within two weeks.
One track panel to be removed prior to culvert replacement.

Sterns Cottage Slip.

Final attempt to reach agreement with insurance companies in hand
Drilling and piling machines booked for end of month start to pile wall between railway and cottage. 45 m long.
Piling will take 12 weeks followed by capping beam.

Sterns (historic slip).

Track to be lined and leveledusing tamper brought in by road from KR.

Little Rock Cutting.

New drainage system installed beneath track, work complete. Contractor off site

Waterworks Crossing to Hampton Loade.

Small slip by Up Distant Signal completed.
Main slip now re-instated.
New drainage system installed.
Drainage across Unicorn site and across field to Severn has been started.
Track back in place waiting tamping. Tamper arrives after OV, KS, Sterns
Small slip by bracket signal north end of station now complete.
All slips hydroseeded.
S & T cable troughing being laid.
New signal cable to be installed.

Hampton Loade Station (not flood damage).

North end platform ramps rebuilt by contractors.
Barrow crossing to replace.

Hampton Loade to Highley.

Approx 25 culverts inspected by camera, jet washed/pressure cleaned as necessary.
Culvert at 144 3/4 to replace (by thrust boring).
Culvert north of Highley station to replace (by pipe bursting).
Many culvert headwalls replaced/rebuild.
New drainage systems proved in some areas.

Highley.

Design approval of repair work by independent third party now received.
New deep drainage being installed (typically 3 to 5m deep).
Preliminary work on main slip started, reliant on drainage being completed before main work starts.
Cattle dock and watertower removed to give required access (to be rebuilt when work complete).
New drainage route from base of slip to river nearing agreement with landowner.
Track to be relayed (including spur to Engine House) when ground works complete.
Signalling and token catchers to re-instate when track in situ.

Highley to Fisherman's Crossing Slip.

Waiting legal agreements regarding access to be finalised.
Hope to start within two weeks.

Borle Viaduct.

Training walls in bed of stream have deteriorated significantly since July.
Access agreements in place.
EA approvals now received (to permit work to start)
Access roads now built.
Trees cleared for machinery access.
Soil nailing machines now on site.

Bridge 18.

Clearance work in stream bed started.

Highley to Arley.

Work in progress on inspection, clearing/pressure/jet washing of culverts.

Victoria Bridge.

Slips now repaired.
New drainage system installed.
Track bed handed back to SVR.
Temporary track in place.
Contaminated ballast dug out.
Signal to re-erect.
Half mile of track to be relayed once access available.
Signalling to re-instate when new track in situ.

Eyemore Cutting.

Temporary track in place.
Contaminated ballast dug out.
Major tree clearance work to start November.
Culverts inspected by camera, jet washed/pressure cleaned as necessary.
Half mile of track to be relayed once access available.
Signalling cable to install when track in situ.
Rock netting inspected for damage and debris removed by specialists.

Trimpley.

Two culverts to replace (cut and cover) will require removal of some track panels.
Work required near Severn Trent Water pipe under railway.
Several hundred tons of spoil stored on the lineside to move off site once rail connection established.

Folly Point.

Work below track complete.
Track handed back to SVR.
Track in place requires tamping.
Spider crawlers (specialist machines) working above track to clear loose debris.
Gabion wall to complete above track (to catch future small slips) will require ongoing inspection and maintenance programme.
Culverts inspected by camera, jet washed/pressure cleaned as necessary.
S & T cable troughing to install.
Replacement Signalling cable to install.

Northwood.

Design worked up.
Soil nailing machines booked for end of October.
When soil nailing complete track to remove then top 3m of embankment to remove for consolidation.
Tree clearance above line started.
Wyre Forest working up drainage scheme for area above railway.
SVR scheme designed to accept drainage from above and pipe through railway.
Land owner of chalet sites above railway on board with scheme.
Same landowner indicated agreement for new drainage across field to river.
Continuing discussions with specific residents.
Culverts inspected by camera, jet washed/pressure cleaned as necessary.
When civil engineering work complete track to replace.
New S & T cable to lay.
Open meeting with residents of Northwood Lane on 18 Oct.

Northwood to Bewdley.

Some drainage and culvert work to complete (does not impact on railway operation).
Handed back to railway. Contractors off site (see below)

Worcester Road Bridge (not flood damage).

Rescheduled for October 2008 due to time constraints between Christmas and Easter 2008 and refusal of Worcestershire Highways to sanction scaffolding of bridge prior to Christmas 2007.

ENGINE 45110 taken by road today to the Great Central Railway for their Gala

It may be worthy of note that the first advertised passenger train ran this morning from Bewdley to just south of Northwood Crossing since June. This shuttle was part of the Diesel Gala which was made up of a two coach train (9220 and 4545) top and tailed by Class 08 D3937 “Gladys” and Cl 11 12099.

We will be shunting Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th October preparing for Santa. Any help with driving Cl 08s,Guarding or shunting welcomed. Please let me know asap.

SATURDAY 13 th October

LNER 4-6-0 Green Arrow on 6 Gresley Teaks – for the last time

SUNDAY 14 th October

Vegetation Clearance Train leaves Bewdley 10.00am ish

LNER 4-6-0 Green Arrow on service train – last public day on SVR

STEAM GALA PASSENGER FIGURES

3979 approx includes Main Line steam run tickets (6606 in 2006). The SVR Flood Appeal Fund was boosted by £700 from the Beer Tent at Bewdley, £400 of this from three barrels donated by Evan Evans Brewery, Llandeilo – it must have been good for railwaymen to abandon the Hobsons for it!.

HAMPTON LOADE

All Sundays
Kiosk is open 10.00am until 4.00pm
Station Fund Shop open
Paddock Railway operating

Dewi Jones

Traffic Notice

All photos taken 12th October

To replace the rotten sign,Lee at Bewdley has built a new one which hopefully will be in place in time for the first public train.

Cl 20 20227 just arrived at Bewdley from KR, "Gladys" with the Northwood Shuttle in Platform 2.

Cl 20 8188 running round its train through BY P1 "bang road"

37906 taking its turn and arriving at BY.

Dewi Jones
Traffic Manager

Press report: Flooded railway has 2008 targets BBC News

FLOODLINE 43

Photos of the inside the Engine House at Highley on 9th October.

Dewi Jones
Traffic Manager

FLOODLINE 42

Photos taken on the 9th of October on my visit to the Engine House at Highley.

Entrance to Engine House, the mud track is where the rails will be laid from the station to the EH. The tarmac road to left goes to the river. All lorries accessing the Highley slip are loaded or unloaded in this yard due to the limited accessibility of the slip site for heavy lorries.

The first exhibit is rolled into the EH, a good old moggie (I used to have a van), but what's that to do with railways - wait to hear the story

Public entrance, picture the scene - loads of screaming kids waiting to get in under the canopy on a wet day!

Looking from the EH main doors towards Highley Station, the station house can be seen in the distance. Track already laid in the EH comes out about six foot into the yard.

Looking towards Highley. Balcony above outside the refreshment room and a view of the trains when they run!

The view from the balcony looking towards Stanley Cutting

Dewi Jones
Traffic Manager

Floodline 41

Just photos in this edition - taken at Highley 9th October

SVR Flood repairs

Looking south from site of dismantled cattle dock the uncompleted path to the Engine House in the distance.

SVR Flood repairs

Digging drains at base of slip, the furthest dumper is taking down pea shingle to fill voids, the second dumper after reversing will take down rocks. Partially demolished bungalow at base of slip.

SVR Flood repairs

Digging drains at base of slip. Centre of the photo can be seen the rocks. Associated equipment around after used to support trench walls.

SVR Flood repairs

Bottom left can be seen the rocks, the crawler bucket has a bucket full having scooped it up from behind it and awaits the return of the dumper which is stock piling the spoil roughly where the water tank once stood.

SVR Flood repairs

What remains of the Loop siding track can be seen on the right. The round item is the current top of the inspection manhole which was sunk 30 feet down to a culvert, still a bit to go to get to track level. This wont be part of the educational experience at HY!

SVR Flood repairs

Generally the same view to illustrate the difficulty of laying drains on the side of a hillside!

Dewi Jones

Traffic Manager

FLOODLINE 40

Monday 8th October 2007

There has been no recent Floodline as I've been on holiday for a fortnight. Unfortunately my steam age computer will not return to full service and as a result I have lost much information.

Notes from meeting held this morning

OLDBURY VIADUCT

The concrete piles and the capping beam have now been completed. Contractors today were just tidying up the site and will vacate tomorrow – all civil engineering work now ready for track laying

KNOWLESANDS INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

Contractors today just tidying up the site and will vacate tomorrow – all civil engineering work will be complete. Armaloc drainage segments all laid in the cess, work complete. Embankment seeded. Contractors mess room and toilet to be retained for volunteers use whilst working in this area. When all the contaminated ballast has been removed from the KS Tunnel area to the industrial site then it should only take one day to clean it all and have it ready to be returned to the track bed.

KNOWLESAND TUNNEL

The NYMR gopher unfortunately broke down last week and repairs to some of the parts are being carried out at BH MPD, Hopefully should be back in full production this week. Completion of ballast cleaning is envisaged within three weeks.

HAY BRIDGE

Closure of the road on October 16th 9.30am until 3.30pm. A road crane will be used to move the bridge beam back into position and contractors will effect the stone repairs at the same time. The timber deck can then be replaced.

STERNS (Cottage Slip)

Work is now awaiting a decision by two insurance companies and the Board on how the railway should proceed. Situation should be clear by the end of the week. Plan was and may still be to start piling here on 29th October. This work should take four weeks. Depending on work methods this may require the track to be lifted. Rail tamper at KR to be moved by road to BH in time to tamp OV, KS, Sterns and HL

STERNS (Historical Slip)

The bit of the line which we have always kept an eye on has had a “wobble” but nothing more than we have seen in the last 10 years or more. No remedial action needed except for the passing of the tamper.

HAMPTON LOADE

Track reinstated good enough for goods trains. Debris in Waterworks Crossing car park yet to be moved out. Contractors laying S+T troughing. Drainage HL-HY camera survey virtually done. River erosion on riverside of cycle path repaired

MP 144 ¾

Thrust boring to replace collapsed culvert will start on 5th November. This will require one panel removed and a bit of tidying up afterwards.

HIGHLEY

Culvert under the steam crane partially collapsed. Will be “pipe-burst”. This method is a the use of a machine making its way through the old pipe and squeezing the damage outwards at the same time drawing in very thick plastic pipe behind it. At the moment 4 or 5 lorry loads of spoil are leaving the main slip site but when the stone comes in this will rise to about 15 lorry loads a day.

FISHERMAN’S CROSSING

Access agreement with the farmer is due soon to allow contractors to take lorries through the farmer’s yard to the railway. What remains of the slip at Fisherman’s will then be dug out to “bench” the remains, the debris will then be taken by road rail dumper to the farm and then away to the tip by lorry. A “very big railway” with the same problem would have a different relation with their neighbours and may not be as concerned. We have to live with our neighbours after this problem has been dealt with and as a result sorting out the legal issues has resulted in us taking longer to move in the machinery than would otherwise have been the case. Contractors should be moving onto site 15th October.

BORLE VIADUCT

Soil nailing machinery has been working in the brook drilling away with some urgency. The trailing/retaining walls are slipping each week with further erosion of the banks. Solution will also include a quantity of gabions, a new access road has had to be built to get machinery and materials to site and a large amount of vegetation has been cleared.

VICTORIA BRIDGE

Plan to erect AY Down Distant next week using road railer

EYMORE CUTTING

Prices are being obtained from three major track companies to relay half a mile of track through Eymore Cutting. This is one option to speed up the reopening of the BY-AY section allowing work to be carried mid week without being dependant on when volunteers are available.

Tree felling in Eymore Cutting will be done by contractors. This is the ideal time to fell large trees without disturbing the track or trains.

EYMORE WOODS

Mid October - panels in three separate locations will be lifted to allow large collapsed drains to be dug out and rebuilt using contractors and road railers. P Way gang will be required to lift track.

FOLLY POINT

Work started last week with vegetation clearance above the line. ”Spider” earth moving machines are now crawling up the hillside scraping down loose spoil, vegetation and debris. This will then be taken by Road railer to the Elan Valley Aqueduct car park for onward removal by road.

NORTHWOOD

Clearance of trees and vegetation started above the line today. Three soil nailing drilling rigs booked to start work on either 29th October or 5th November. News update letter being sent to residents in this area this week and residents invited to a meeting at BY to be kept informed of developments next week.

WORCESTER ROAD BRIDGE

Worcester Highways will not close this road between December 2007 and February 2008. Therefore it has been agreed to defer the closure and the repair work until October 2008.The line between KR and BY will therefore remain open until October 2008.

Dewi Jones

Traffic Manager